The Fighter
by the.evil.slim.shady
Summary: Damon raises his hand in victory. He feels someone wrap a chunky championship belt around his waist, but he wishes to be wrapped up in Elena Gilbert instead. Wishes, however, do not come true. At least not for him. All Human (AH AU).
1. Chapter 1

Kol Mikaelson grows desperate. Damon Salvatore is like poetry in motion. Kol throws a wild punch; Damon catches and crushes down. _Hard._ Kol crumples to the floor in pain. The referee jumps in front of Damon and stops the fight. A ringside doctor enters the octagon and examines Kol's hand. _Broken_ is one way to describe it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this contest at 3 minutes 38 seconds of round # 5, declaring the winner by TKO, and still the Undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion of the World, Damon, 'The Vampire,' Salvatore!"

Damon raises his hand in victory. He feels someone wrap a chunky championship belt around his waist, but he wishes to be wrapped up in Elena Gilbert instead. Wishes, however, do not come true. At least not for him.


	2. Chapter 2

"I need some air. I'm still feeling a tad ... _dead,_" Elijah Mikaelson jokes as he nuzzles Elena's neck.

"We all know the drill_. _I corner Damon, or I corner Damon. There is no door number three_,"_ Elena emphasizes.

"The lovely Elena drives a hard bargain ..."

"I should head to the press conference."

"Your compassion is a gift, Elena. But, Damon talks a good game. He can read lips," Elijah complains. "How do I know you're not exchanging secret love messages with him?"

"American Sign Language is not a secret. Learn it, and maybe you will find out the 'something' that Damon and I have ... " Elena winks and runs out of Elijah's reach.


	3. Chapter 3

Damon thumbs through the pages of "Interview with the Vampire" in a flash. He has read this book too many times to count. He would _love_ to be a vampire. The eternal stud _always_ gets the girl.

Vicki, his hearing dog, gently nudges his leg. He looks up and sees a woman gesturing to the press conference platform.

Damon transforms the platform into his own personal catwalk. He is a _vision_ in leather. His raven hair is moist from the fight and curls a little at the ends. Some loose tendrils fall onto his forehead and he rakes them back with his fingers. Sex hair has _nothing_ on fight hair. He tosses the press his signature lopsided smirk. The press, though mostly male, swoons.

Elena waves at him from the other side of the room. She mouths and signs congratulations. His heart swells. She is his best friend. She has been since forever. She _never_ once made fun of him for being deaf. She even learned American Sign Language along with him. To this day, she still speaks and signs at the same time, so he can continue to improve his lip reading skills. She takes her place beside him.

Damon's head trainer, Alaric "Ric" Saltzman, sits on Damon's other side. "Hell, Kol's a dick," Ric laughs while answering a reporter's question. "Kol kept saying 'To the death!' on Primetime. Screw you, crap ass! Five rounds of getting beat the fuck up ... then getting TKOed ... from his _own_ punch? That's fucking poetic. Damon could've ended that fight a million different ways, whenever he wanted. Elena gives Damon a harder time in training ..."

Elena shoots eye daggers at Ric for the sexist comment but does not speak up. Ric is testing her will. _Again._ The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has just added a women's bantamweight division and could add lower weight classes in the future. She dreams of fighting in the world's premiere mixed martial arts organization but loathes the harsh criticisms often hurled at female fighters.

Damon senses Elena's distress and threads his fingers through hers. She looks up at him with a small smile and rests her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for making it to the first author's note! You already know this fan fiction is one-of-a-kind ... in a good or bad way, you decide.

_Random Points_

Matt Hamill is a real-life deaf UFC fighter, for those thinking the "deaf UFC fighter" premise is far-fetched. Support him if you can!

The UFC has just added a women's bantamweight division in real life, for those thinking the "female UFC fighter" premise is far-fetched. Support the ladies if you can!

Others communicate with Damon using a combination of American Sign Language and normal speech (which he interprets through lip reading). To help with the story's flow, I will not go into extreme detail about whether someone is signing to Damon, speaking to Damon, or both.

I myself am not deaf, and I do not know anyone who is. I have tried my best to represent a deaf Damon through careful research. If I screw something up, please let me know and I will fix it right away. I want to honor the deaf community, not make a mockery of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Mystic Grill in Mystic Falls, Virginia is buzzing with electric energy. It always is after a Damon Salvatore fight.

Mystic Falls itself is too small to host UFC fight events. Those honors go to Fairfax, Virginia, a few hours away. Mystic Falls can _rock_ a fight after-party, though. How could it not, with Ric's "Slayers" mixed martial arts team co-owning the Mystic Grill? Ric, Damon, and Elena, along with Tyler "The Werewolf" Lockwood and Matt "Only Human" Donovan, fight hard and party harder.

The Slayers enter Mystic Grill to a cacophony of whoops and cheers. Queen's "We are the Champions" blasts through the loudspeakers and the drunken crowd butchers it. The men fondle their exaggerated air guitars; the women fondle themselves. The dim spotlights cast strange shadows over the writhing bodies. The air is thick and palpable, smelling and tasting like naked sweat. Damon drowns out this unpleasant taste with a couple tumblers of bourbon. The crowd stops to toast to Damon, then resumes its debauchery. Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's little brother, pulls Damon aside.

"See, I told you I could be a badass ..." Jeremy begins, showing off the new, first-ever tattoo on his hand. He is a gifted artist and plans to get sleeve tattoos of his artwork. A live portfolio, if you will.

"Badasses don't say that," Damon fires back and admires Jeremy's handiwork. The kid has spunk, like his sister.

John Gilbert, Elena's father, interrupts to erupt when he sees Jeremy's tattoo. He goes _all sorts of crazy,_ over everything. My son is a gangbanger! My daughter and her best friend are barbaric killers! John is, to put it mildly, a melodramatic bigot.

Jenna Gilbert, Elena's mother, leads Damon away from the Gilbert men standoff. She embraces him in a warm, motherly hug, and he basks in the glow until a group catches his eye at the front door. The Mikaelsons.

Kol's eternal shit-eating grin is gone. Shades cover his puffy eyes and a bulky cast protects his injured hand.

Klaus Mikaelson has _just_ finished serving a 90-day medical suspension. Damon submitted Klaus with an unforgiving heel hook, winning the UFC lightweight belt in the process and becoming the youngest UFC champion in history. Klaus's limp is barely noticeable now.

Elijah plays head trainer to his brothers over at "The Originals" mixed martial arts gym. He is too refined to fight himself but not too refined to teach others the brutal art. He convinced his brothers to show sportsmanship and join him in celebrating Damon's win.

Elena skips over to Elijah and plants a smoldering kiss to his lips. Damon would rip Elijah's heart out, if Elijah was not such a stand-up guy ...

Professor Giuseppe Salvatore's boisterous voice over the PA system interrupts his son's murderous thoughts. Giuseppe is the dean of law at Mystic Falls' Whitmore College. He had hoped _both_ of his sons, Damon and Stefan, would follow in his legal footprint. Imagine his shock and surprise when Damon decided to major in _English Literature, _of all things, and stop at _only_ one degree. Stefan, however, would right that wrong. He is only 17 now, 7 years Damon's junior, but is already on the fast track to becoming a law professor.

This is Giuseppe's first after-party, and he hams it up with lie after lie about how he supported his son's mixed martial arts dream. Truth is, Giuseppe only started looking his son straight in the eye when Damon put Mystic Falls on the map as UFC champion. Before that, Giuseppe always looked downwards.

Elena catches Damon's attention again, when he sees her cheekily put a lemon in her mouth. Elijah needs said lemon to down with his drink. How do you think he goes about getting it? Damon's mind starts to drift back 3 years ...


	5. Chapter 5

3 years ago:

Elena spent the night before her 21st birthday in a tangle of male limbs. And _not_ the fun kind of tangle. Invicta Fighting Championships, the women's mixed martial arts organization, was holding tryouts in Fairfax in a month. Elena _needed_ this. She could think of _nothing else._

By 10 pm, Ric, Tyler, and Matt had had enough. Elena had been training for hours and showed no signs of slowing down. They promised to return early in the morning.

Elena begged Damon for another 5 minutes, 10 max. He agreed, as always. She squeezed another 5 minutes, and another 5, and another 5 ...

Damon's bathroom break was taking way too long. Elena looked up at the wall clock. Midnight. She was officially 21. Fancy that. Damon waved in front of her eyes. He was armed with a fatal arsenal: a bottle of good whiskey, a lemon, some egg whites, and some pineapple juice. He eyed her with drama and mischief. She glared in return. She was not going down without a fight. "Happy Birthday! Oh, come on, Elena. You don't wanna go back to it right now. Do you? What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there later. Look. Step away from your life for 5 minutes. 5 minutes!" He always knew what to say to her. And how to compel her with his _impossibly_ blue eyes. Such pretty eyes.

Elena's smile was small, but it was there. Damon acknowledged her with a small smile of his own and started on her whiskey sour. On good days, he was meticulous. On bad days, he was downright OCD. Patience was not one of Elena's virtues, once she wanted something. And watching Damon's slow, exact fingers made her want alcohol, really badly. She stole the almost full bottle from the floor and the lemon slice out of his hand, just as he was about to use it to decorate her tumbler. The bottle was gone in a few large swigs. _Giggle. Burp. _He stared at her in amazement. How could all that alcohol fit into such a petite body?

Damon shoved his palm under Elena's nose. He had cut that lemon slice _perfectly,_ and all he needed to do was wedge it onto the lip of her tumbler to finish her drink. She giggled again, burped again, and shook her head no. He rolled his eyes. Drunk Elena was so immature. He reached out to grab it, but she piled it into her mouth before he could. _Come and get it,_ her eyes challenged.

Ever the Southern gentleman, Damon decided that the birthday girl should be allowed to swallow lemons if she so pleased. He cracked his knuckles in preparation. He definitely had another perfect slice in him. Elena pouted like a petulant child when she lost his attention. She launched herself into his arms and peppered his face with kisses. _Try to ignore me now._

Just when did the silly games turn into pure need, want, and lust? Neither Damon nor Elena knew for sure. All they knew was this was a _long time coming. _They had been in love before they even knew what it was. Lips on lips, teeth on lips, tongues on lips, tongues on tongues. No oral combination was left unexplored.

If Elena had had her way, they would have made hot love on the dirty gym floor. She was a firecracker waiting to explode and did not care where she exploded. Damon, however, wanted their first time to be more comfortable (and clean). They made their way back to the Salvatore boarding house and settled near the fireplace. Or more technically, on the wall next to the fireplace.

Elena arched back, her left hand gripping at the intricate wood patterns on the wall for support. Her fingers fell on a rough patch, and her lips ghosted into a conflicted smile. Damon pulled back to bore into her doe eyes, then at where her left hand met the wall. The name "Elena" was carved in a child's unsure handwriting. At age 6, just after he had learned to print the alphabet, Damon carved Elena's name into the wall. He proudly showed his father, and his father proudly showed him a studded belt. Elena snuck her fingers under Damon's shirt and stroked over his scar. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and he thumbed them away. "If you're gonna feel guilty about something, you're gonna feel guilty about this," he whispered as he shocked her body with a drugging kiss.

This time, Damon snuck his fingers under Elena's spandex top to remove it. She was wearing an uncupped sports bra underneath, which barely hid her puckered nipples. He danced his fingertips across the outer sides of her covered breasts, all while gauging her. She tossed her head back in ecstasy, a rosy blush tinting her chest. She used her hands to guide his where she wanted them – on her breasts. He grazed her nipples with his thumbs, hardening them more. He increased the pressure, eventually rolling them slowly between his thumbs and pointers. Other parts of their bodies began to harden in response.

"Damon, hurry," Elena moaned in desperation.

Damon should have hurried. One moment, he was touching the woman he loved in the most intimate of ways. The next, he was being thrown a foot in the air.


	6. Chapter 6

Elena teeters on the edge. She rubs at the juncture between her legs. That does not work. She imagines gazing into an ocean of blue. _That_ works like a charm. Elena hurtles over, taking Elijah along with her.

He rolls the condom off in a huff. He should call her out on this shit. How dare she think of another man at times like these? He knows she knows he knows. The whole of Mystic Falls besides Damon _knows._

Three years. They have been dating for three whole fucking years. He has done _everything_ in that time to make her fall in love with him. He says "I love you." (She has yet to reciprocate those words.) He makes her come before _and_ during sex. He massages her after her fights. He takes her on at least 2 date nights a week. He treats her like a goddamn goddess. What more can he do, besides _be_ Damon Salvatore?

Elijah needs comfort food, stat. He heads towards the kitchen and runs into none other than Damon Salvatore. Damon has been using Elijah's sister Rebekah as some sort of therapeutic fuck buddy for the past 3 years. The Mikaelson siblings share a mansion and that fact has been rather inconvenient at times. Imagine hearing your own sister being pleasured by the man your girlfriend loves. Small towns weave tangled webs. Elijah considers penning a country song about it.

Damon has just made himself a gourmet sandwich and offers Elijah half. Say what you will about Damon, but he is the best cook around. Elijah wolfs down his half.

"She'll never forgive you," Elijah starts.

Of course not. Damon stays silent. He treated Elena like prize money 3 years ago. Like something he could wrap up in a nice bow and deliver to another man's doorstep. Elijah's doorstep. Damon and Elijah decided Elena's fate over dinner the night after Elena's 21st birthday. Dr. John Gilbert had crossed the line. Throwing Damon off Elena? Fine, Damon could deal. Punching Damon and threatening to throw him off the balcony? Fine. Kicking Vicki and sending her to the animal ER? _Not fine._ Calling Damon a retard who should not procreate? _Not fine._ When it came to Elena, Damon was consumed enough by his own feelings of inadequacy. He did not need his (now former) doctor adding fuel to the fire. He could only think of one way to escape. Give Elena up to a "worthier" man. The best way to protect her from his inadequacy and move forward was to make sure her love was not an option.

Elijah had liked Elena from afar for several months. He had thought himself a long shot, especially with Damon around. How could he compete with deep childhood friendship, trust, and understanding? If he had been a she, Damon would be his choice too ... The night after Elena's 21st birthday, Damon decided that he would simply step aside and let Elijah swoop in. Elijah had promised to cherish Elena the way she deserved, and Damon knew that Elijah's word was gold. Later, Elena showed up to continue their interrupted coupling, but could barely breathe when Damon withdrew from her.

"I know what you're about to do, please don't do this to me," she begged with tears and desperation.

"You need to leave," he countered, cold and detached.

Elijah feels bad about bringing up the past again, but he does not regret doing it. On nights like these, where he can literally _feel_ his love's love for another, he needs reassurance. Elena may love Damon, but she will never forgive him for shutting the door on them. And she does not even know the half of it. Was Elijah not just as guilty? He usually forces his mind to stop short of answering this question. Damon was the mastermind, and he was merely an accomplice. Surely, that made a difference, right?

All internal musings stop when Elena and Rebekah step into the kitchen. Their men had been taking so long that they decided to investigate. Elena threads her fingers through Elijah's, and he kisses her forehead. Damon avoids eye contact with everyone and leaves.

Rebekah stays behind and shoots Elena a sarcastic comment. "He is good in the sack, isn't he?"

"Drop it!" Elijah rages.

The hurt overwhelms Rebekah's eyes, but she masks it in a flash. Who said that blood is thicker than water? That obviously does not hold true for the Mikaelsons.

Elena squeezes Elijah's hand to comfort and calm him. Yes, she hates Rebekah most days, but they also share an odd understanding. Elena knows that Rebekah likes Damon more than just a fuck buddy, and Elena herself knows how difficult love geometry can be. The only sure thing in love geometry is that every point hurts.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to Fujiwara Yume, WildGirl51, biorulz, AlexisPetrova, Memoamo, SwanQueen4055, TVDlover, arabiceyes, bellax0xchristina, kelizabeth13, and Jasmine.

I hear you all on the longer chapters. I wish I could write longer chapters too, but I just do not have it in me.


	7. Chapter 7

The beauty beneath Damon's legs screams in ecstasy. She is a Harley-Davidson V-Rod with a part Porsche engine, custom-fit to his liking. To the world, she will be known as "Vee," but to him as "Elena." He plans to give Elena a good ride every day.

Elena and company are awaiting Damon's grand entrance. They sit around the bar at Mystic Grill and Elena entertains with stories of Damon, the Vampire Gigolo. Ric, Matt, and Tyler share knowing glances. For a girl who is _so over_ Damon Salvatore, Elena sure talks about him and his sex life _a lot._ Even her best friend and Mystic Falls' town gossip, Caroline Forbes, rolls eyes towards the sky. Bonnie Bennett, Jeremy's girlfriend, pats Elena's thigh in sympathy. Jeremy is joining the Slayer men on a "broski" (more like "brewski") road trip to celebrate Damon's first title defense. Bonnie's concern is justified. The Slayer men, being handsome and fit fighters, are chick magnets. _Especially_ Damon, Jeremy's de facto big brother.

Damon pulls up at "his spot" right next to the Grill's entrance. He tries to coax Vicki out of his bike's sidecar. Vicki can sense that Damon is about to leave her with someone else and refuses to move. Stefan had taken Vicki with him on the night before Elena's 21st birthday. Vicki was off duty whenever Damon was around people who could help him if needed. He rarely needed help though, as he had had over 2 decades to figure out how to adapt to his circumstances. He got Vicki, his first hearing dog, as more of a companion and pet golden retriever 5 years ago. The first few hours of Elena's birthday were ones that Vicki could not forget, even if she wanted to. Stefan, Giuseppe, John, and Vicki stopped by the Salvatore boarding house for a nightcap after the monthly Mystic Falls Founder's Council meeting. John ended up the only "capper," busting a cap in everyone else's collective ass. Vicki is now weary whenever Damon leaves and rightfully so.

Vicki holds out, until she hears Elena call out. With tail wagging, Vicki plants sloppy but appreciated kisses all over Elena's face. Thank God Elena can take Vicki along for girls nights. Vicki cannot really handle being left with anyone else any more.

Damon nods a small thanks to Elena but does not look her in the eyes. Elena almost loses herself. Their friendship is back to normal, except for one thing. He avoids looking her in the eyes. She wants to confront him on his rude habit, but she decides that she has shamed him enough for a day.

The Slayer men and Jeremy hop on their bikes and start revving their engines. Jeremy and Bonnie engage in an awkwardly long goodbye kiss and hug. Ric looks away and tries not to let images of his late wife Isobel overtake him. He just wants to enjoy time away with his best friends. He does not need an "Inception"-like Mal Cobb destroying his dreams. Isobel's substitute rubs against his thigh. At least she – a bottle of Sherry wine – is classy this time. He was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning when he made a not-so-wise choice last time.

Damon is equally unnerved. Jeremy is such a little shit, always dangling the carrot of bliss in front of everyone. Who invited him anyways?

Finally, the men head out. Bad thoughts, what bad thoughts? Wind in hair is a cure-all.

Vicki stares down the road until Damon is completely out of her sight. She whimpers and winds herself through Elena's legs. Elena disentangles herself and buries her hands in the soft fur behind Vicki's ears. "Hurts me too," Elena whispers to Vicki.

Caroline and Bonnie overhear. Elena does not have a fight nickname yet (she is waiting for her UFC debut to christen her), but it might as well be "The Nile." Elena obviously still loves and is in love with Damon, Elijah be damned. Yes, Damon gave up on them, but what else could he do after being physically and verbally assaulted by her father? Throw a party?

Caroline and Bonnie let Elena between them and the three loop arms. Vicki follows on Bonnie's side. Begin Operation _Distract Elena from Damon for 5 Minutes._ Ironic destination, Salvatore boarding house, because Damon's tub is heaven.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to Haibookhunter, Lilredangel, my 2 guys, Nina145, and IgnatiusPReiley.


	8. Chapter 8

Korean? That is a first. Years of speech therapy make Damon sound more like a foreigner than a deaf person, but people usually think that he is European. He is also a master lip reader, which further masks his deafness. Not that he would have to be one to know this redhead's intentions. She laughs at another one of his jokes and twirls her hair around her fingers. Little Gilbert warns him with a _look_ over her shoulder. _Why_ does he invite this kid? Jeremy Cockblock Gilbert is seriously cramping his style. Damon decides to put Jeremy out of misery and pawn the redhead – Sage, is it? – off on Ric. Damon turns to his left and is immediately met with a drunk flurry of "No!" hand signals. Is anybody going to get fucking laid tonight? Damon sees Tyler enter the men's room with a blonde and Matt enter the ladies' room with a brunette. Good, not a complete waste of a night.

Damon shoots Jeremy a "You happy now?" glare.

"Elena's not here. You don't have to pretend like you give a damn about me," Jeremy alleges, like only a teenage dumbass could.

Does Damon need to spell it out for Jeremy? What are they teaching in school? Damon _likes_ Jeremy. This _like _has been rather inconvenient for Damon at times. Case in point, right now.

Drunk Ric interjects about living his own sex life vicariously through Damon. Damon and Jeremy look at him with gross faces. They decide to put their squabbling aside and help a gibberish-mumbling Ric back to the Gilbert lake house.

Damon inhales several breaths of fresh country air and then proceeds to skip a pebble for a record 5 times. He _loves_ this lake house full of memories. Before John drank the hateorade, the Gilberts and Salvatores spent summers together at this very lake house. Giuseppe was thankful that John was there to help take care of and occupy a very active young Damon Salvatore when school was out. Being a single father raising two sons, one deaf, was hard. Giuseppe had learned the two tools of fatherhood – belts and cash – from his own father, a father of only sons. John, on the other hand, had been blessed with a daughter, who brought about patience and grace. Also, as Damon's doctor, John knew how to deal with Damon in a way that nobody else could.

A pebble skips along, 10 times to be exact. Ric, when sober, is such a competitive dick. He was 23, fresh out of teaching school, when he joined Mystic Falls High as history teacher, gym teacher, and wrestling coach. He coached a then 18-year-old Damon to a high school wrestling championship. Ric and Damon kept their successful partnership and amassed the titles one by one: an almost perfect collegiate wrestling record, four NCAA Division III national wrestling championships, a six-figure UFC contract, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to complement Damon's childhood black belt in Shorin-Ryu, a seven-figure UFC contract, a perfect UFC record to date with a 75% finishing rate, and a UFC Lightweight championship belt. Damon was technically self-trained during 2 of his 4 NCAA runs, as Ric was rehabilitating from the accident that killed Isobel. That was when Ric started getting in bed with alcohol on the regular. The drunk homicidal maniac that caused their accident only got 6 months and a fine. Ric obviously had a sense of (sick, morbid) humor about it. Why else would he always drive with an unopened bottle of alcohol on his body?

"Did you see that?" Jeremy asks excitedly. He has just flipped Matt over and executed a crude arm bar.

"You couldn't miss it. It was is in slow motion," Damon snarks, earning a chuckle from Ric in the process.

"Better than Damon at your age," Ric taunts, challenge ablaze in his eyes.

"Take a seat at the bench, 'Only Human'. Karate Kid wants a shot at the title," Damon replies smoothly to Ric's challenge. Sure, Jeremy had purchased the guns, but did he know how to use them? There is more to martial arts than just bulging biceps. Jeremy runs towards Damon at top speed and throws a wayward jab. Damon ducks, turns and ends up behind Jeremy, the latter in a choke hold. "Now, all I have to do is apply a little pressure to your jaw." Damon's tone is playful yet instructive, and Jeremy nods in understanding. They reverse roles and Jeremy executes to perfection.

"If he wasn't such an 'artiste', I'd be worried for your title," Ric mocks and makes quotation marks in the air with his fingers. "The guns are overdone, though."

"They help with Bonnie," Jeremy fires back, while pumping his arms and thrusting his hips. Damon and Ric look at him with gross faces.

"You're not a virgin? I'm shocked!" Damon deadpans.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to LenaBV.


	9. Chapter 9

Elena dances her fingers across the water's surface. The balmy temperature works out the remaining kinks and knots in her body and mind. As much as she loves fighting, it certainly takes a physical and mental toll. She loves unwinding in Damon's tub. The white depths wrap her in comfort and remind her of his embrace. She strokes her inner thighs in debate. Should she really be doing this in an open concept room, where anybody could walk in on her? Yes, says her need.

Elena's cautious ears pick up bits and pieces of Bonnie's phone conversation with Jeremy and Caroline's cackling to "The Real Housewives of Something or Other." Vicki is having an afternoon nap on Damon's bed. Elena has a good 15 minutes to herself. She rests back in relief and imagines being wrapped up in him again. He trails kisses along her collarbone – kisses of uniform pressure and moistness that are equidistant from each other. She rolls her eyes; he is obviously still in control of himself. She wants the Vampire to come out. She slides her backside against his front. His breath hitches in his throat and his lungs labour for oxygen. She grasps between her thighs and pulls his hard shaft between them. _That _earns her a strangled moan. She slithers her slick folds up and down his shaft, but does not allow him to penetrate her. _That _earns her a white-knuckled grip on her hips. She aligns her swelling nub and his seeping head. _That_ earns her a feral growl ...

"You're doing what?" Caroline questions, wiggling her eyebrows.

Elena throws her loofah at Caroline's head. How dare Caroline interrupt the _ahh-mazing_ climax in the midst of happening? Caroline ducks, laughs, and turns to let Elena get decent.

The girls convene in the master kitchen for a late lunch. Elena opens the fridge and smiles at the neatly stacked containers. Damon has prepared 3 days worth of meals for her and the girls. Up next, handmade gnocchi in Fontina sauce. Caroline and Bonnie steal peeks from behind her shoulders and salivate in unison.

Caroline brings another forkful to her nose and inhales. Fontina, Parmesan, Butter, and Cream are a girl's best friend. She swirls the mixture in her mouth. This man is utter _perfection. _If she were the relationship type, she would have sunk her teeth into his fine ass _years_ ago.

Stefan, on his way to the library, stops by the kitchen at the smell of Damon's cooking. He plates himself a serving while enduring 3 death stares. What? He has SATs to study for and only Damon's food can get him through. Damon was pretty much the mom Stefan never had.

Stefan once-overs Elena while she is rinsing her plate off. She is smoking hot, with her endless olive legs and brunette hair. But once he stops at her midriff, left uncovered by her sports bra, he mentally smacks himself. Her washboard abs are _scary as fuck, _and by definition, so is _she._ He cannot imagine how any normal non-fighter could date her. He likes his girls more submissive and easier to control, thankyouverymuch.

The sound of awful scrapes cause the boarding house to empty. Rebekah is on the driveway, scratching her version of _art_ on the side of Elena's SUV. _Butch Dyke._

Wow. OK. Breathe. Elena knows she could simply snap Rebekah's pretty little neck in 1 second, but decides against it in a driveway full of witnesses. Rebekah decides that Elena's mature (or lack of) response is unacceptable and adds verbal insult to injury.

"Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you," Rebekah spits, jealous that Elena has the love of both Damon and Elijah.

Elena does not dignify Rebekah's actions with _any _visible response, which infuriates the blonde even further. Rebekah stomps off, punctuating every step with an angry heeled accent. Elena, seeing red herself, calls the only person who can calm her down. "I hate not being near you," she says into the speaker.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to vamomoftwins, MRF1098, AKWilson21, Marlou


	10. Chapter 10

Damon admires the mass of red hair bobbing up and down between his thighs. He could barely contain his excitement when Jeremy snuck off to check in with Bonnie. Damon immediately hightailed back to Dunham Lake's only bar, and sure enough, Sage was still there, trying to pick up an afternoon patron. They made their way to a secluded part of the surrounding forest to engage in what Jeremy so rudely interrupted. Sage is in the middle of repaying Damon's oral expertise when his phone vibrates. She stops mid-stroke when he has the _audacity_ to answer the call.

"That's me, your trusty bodyguard. Calm in crisis," Damon jokes once he has effectively talked Elena down from an emotional cliff. She wipes away her last tear with her index finger and touches it to the phone screen. Damon touches his index finger to hers and promises to come home as soon as possible. By the time they end their video call, Sage is long gone and probably scrawling "Damon Salvatore has a limp dick!" in the bar's ladies' room.

Matt chastises but does not outright refuse Damon's offer. Damon gets _so much pussy_ that he often has to pawn it off, and Matt and Tyler are the usual beneficiaries. If not, Damon would have a mess of crying and/or angry women following him around 24/7. He finds that setting the women up with their next victims lessens the fury towards him. Last castaway went to Ric – who should actually be removed from the rolodex due to his lack of participation – so Matt is up next. Matt puts on his usual "nice guy" act, but Damon knows Matt has had a little crush on Rebekah for some time. Two birds.

Damon's last order of the day is to check in with Elijah. Rebekah, a perpetual tantrum, needs to be reeled in before Elena makes her a boxing dummy. Elijah assures Damon that Rebekah has been dealt with; Elijah controls Rebekah's purse strings as she continues to drag through Mystic Falls Community College. Elena is important, but not more important than Manolos.

Leaving the rest of the Slayers to salvage their weekend, Damon hops on Vee and beelines back to Mystic Falls. Will he ever fall out of Elena Gilbert's spell? She has obviously moved on with Elijah, as evidenced by their incessant need to PDA in front of him. This weekend has gone like many others before it. Damon hopes to chill with his bros _away_ from Elena, but something brings him back to her. Like a gravity.

Damon knows he loves Elena. He knows he will never love anyone _more._ But being with her, properly, in a romantic relationship, scares the _fuck_ out of him. And he knows exactly why it scares the fuck out of him. One word. The word he cannot say, even in the sanctity of his own mind. Dr. John Gilbert's methods were unorthodox and essentially criminal, but they served their intended purpose. They jarred Damon out of the fantasy that he had built for himself. A fantasy that was all too easy to breathe to life when he was breathing her air, tasting her lips, touching her body.

Damon stops by the roadside to snap himself out of thoughts that hurt him more than any opponent's attack. He shakes his head in dark mirth; he needs a distraction like Sage right about now. The road from Dunham Hill to Mystic Falls is quiet, even more so at night. He paces back and forth and lets his eyes adjust to the black. The black does not stay for long, replaced with the high beams of an oncoming car. The car pulls next to Vee and the driver exits. Another redhead, what are the chances? She is an Anne Hathaway mixture of cute-hot with bangs and green eyes. Jessica. Sage did not know him, but Jessica sure does.

Damon and Jessica chat for a few minutes, building the sexual charge in the air around them. He likes this part the most; how long can they last before it all goes to hell? Less than 5 minutes, and she is down to her underwear with her hands braced against the hood of her car. He is usually a proponent of long, drawn-out foreplay, but his blue balls protest this time. Fair enough. He pulls aside the slip of cloth covering her entrance and invites his condom-covered self in. Another car passes by them and honks several times in approval. They occupy each other for another hour before he decides he has had enough. Any longer and she would have probably turned into a clinger. She enters her number into his phone and assures she is up for _anything, anytime._

After washing the smell'o'slut off his body, Damon sneaks into his bed to play big spoon to Elena's little spoon. She cuddles into his chest and pulls his arms around her waist. He inhales the scent of her flowery shampoo and places a gentle kiss to the back of her head. She whines about her cold feet, and he warms them up with his own. This is _totally_ what a couple of best friends do at night.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to bellax0xchristina and Avenger7.


	11. Chapter 11

Elena marvels at the rise and fall of Damon's chest. She woke in his arms that morning and resolved to take in his unbeknownst, sleeping form. Where did they go wrong? Mornings like these remind her of a wasted past and taunt her with the prospect of a wasted future. Her fingers fall onto his defined cheekbones. Maybe today is the day she stops _wasting._ Liquid courage pumps through her veins. She will wake him up, compel him with her chocolate brown eyes, and make them _talk_ about the last 3 years so they can move forward together. He suddenly turns his body away from her and stalks off to the bathroom. OK, maybe not today.

Elena runs a frustrated hand through her mess of brunette tangles. Maybe today should still be the day. She always uses their friendship as an excuse – how talking could ruin it, how she could not live without it. Damon hands her a perfectly concocted mix of veggies and fruits – he even makes healthy food delicious! – and she guzzles it down. Real liquid courage. Her mouth is ready to spill her heart's caged contents when an incoming video call demands their attention.

"You two, gym now," Ric slurs, waving around a Bud, his morning coffee.

Right. Elena should probably be thinking about her next career move. She impressed Invicta 3 years ago and they rewarded her with a 3-fight contract, all of which she has already fulfilled. The organization has taken awhile to establish a formal championship structure. They are only _now_ holding a championship bout in Elena's flyweight (125 lbs) weight class. They have asked Elena to fight Tatia Petrova for the inaugural flyweight belt. _Or ..._

Elena could throw caution to the wind and fight for the _only_ women's belt worth fighting for. The UFC bantamweight (135 lbs) belt, currently held by Katherine Pierce. The UFC only has that one women's weight class, and even its future depends on the pay-per-view reception of the first UFC women's fight, Kat's debut against Meredith Fell. If Elena continues at flyweight, she may never fight in the UFC. If Elena moves up to bantamweight, she will be fighting at a weight disadvantage. _But,_ if Elena defeats Kat (assuming Kat defends against Meredith), Elena also dethrones Kat as the G.O.A.T. Greatest of All Time.

Kat is a _dynamite_ hottie, but it is her fight resume that has her touted as the _Greatest._ Only two American women have ever medaled in taekwondo at the Olympic Games, and she is one of them. She was the women's bantamweight champion in the now UFC-owned Strikeforce mixed martial arts organization. She was the first woman to headline a major mixed martial arts event, and that event stands as one of the most-watched Strikeforce events in history. She has almost single-handedly raised the sport of women's mixed martial arts from obscurity. Of course, this is where Kat's looks help _tremendously._ Mixed martial arts targets a male demographic, and she gets their eyeballs squarely on her. You are an ass man? She has junk in that trunk. You are a breast man? Her fight tops barely contain her ampleness. You watch Kat fight, you are in for a show in more ways than one.

Elena sighs to herself. Clearly, Kat already has the mental edge. She looks at the rearview mirror and watches Damon struggle to remove Vicki's service dog vest. Damon and Vicki were going to spend a lazy day out in the snow before Ric voluntold them to help Elena train for whateverthefuck Elena decides is her next move. Damon was and is her physical edge. She has been around the fight game long enough to know that _very_ few men are willing to spar and train with women, no-holds-bar. Sure, some men feign it, but Damon goes balls to the wall. On more than one occasion, they have hurt each other during training, which only happens when elite athletes are training _seriously._ She rubs at the bruise on her elbow. Although counterintuitive, this bruise is a symbol of Damon's confidence in Elena and her abilities. He trains with her as he does with Tyler and Matt. And they also have the battle scars to prove it.

Elena's physical edge, however, is not a secret. The UFC followed Damon around leading up to his fight with Kol, documenting his methods in a Primetime hype piece. Needless to say, many people were shocked to find that Damon and Elena train like two men. There was even a minor backlash. If Elena were another female fighter watching that hype piece, she would have booked the next flight to Mystic Falls and begged Damon to train with her.

Elena and Kat obviously think alike. Kat is sitting on the front step of the Slayers gym, drumming her nails against the railing. When she spots Elena's SUV, _Butch Dyke_ still displayed proudly on the side, she rises to her feet and rolls her eyes.

"Hello Butch Dyke. Starting training at 12 pm is a _sure_ way to get my belt," Kat mocks, pointing to the buckle on her belt, which she had custom-fashioned as a smaller replica of her real bantamweight belt.

"What are you doing here?" Elena demands, not in the mood for Kat's games. Kat is from Florida, and they rarely cross paths, but when they do ...

"I will always be one step ahead of you. When are you gonna figure that out?" Kat returns. She turns to Damon. "God, you're hot. When did you get so hot?" She runs the tip of her finger across his chest. He knows _exactly_ what she is trying to do. She launches into a whirlwind spiel about why he should help train her for her upcoming fight against Meredith, so he shakes his head and points to his ear. He is a master lip reader, but the speaker has to be speaking at a _reasonable_ pace. She sighs and signs the one sentence she bothered to learn: "Just train me because I say so."

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Author's Note: Rousey vs. Carmouche, the first UFC women's fight in real life. Feb 23, 2013.


	12. Chapter 12

To the untrained eye, Damon and Kat are making naughty erotica. He lies flat on his back while she writhes all over him, both of their bodies slick with sweat. In reality, she is looking to submit him in a jiu-jitsu move.

Damon rests his arms behind his head, casual as fuck, enjoying the view. He cannot really go all-out, because he is serving a mandatory 7-day medical suspension, despite taking almost no damage from Kol. Damon now notices how similar Kat and Elena are in appearance. They could almost be sisters. Except their eyes. Kat's are feral, like a caged wild animal. Elena's are ... He stops himself from going there. He has not looked into her eyes for 3 years, for good reason.

Elena cannot keep the green from surfacing. Yes, she herself suggested that Damon and Kat train for the afternoon. But did they have to be so _into _it? Elijah places his index finger under Elena's chin and turns her face towards his.

"Pissed is not a good look on the lovely Elena. Remember, you told him to," Elijah soothes, placing a small kiss on her lips. Elena smiles into the kiss and turns up the heat. She is not pissed at the training itself. Watching a potential opponent train and then getting intel from said opponent's training partner? Best arsenal ever. Watching Kat slobber all over Damon's candy cane? Not so much. Elena pushes Elijah to the floor, straddles him, and resumes her exploration of his mouth. She handles her own jealousy best with reverse-jealousy. Childish, yes. Effective, even more so. She peeps out of the corner of her eye and blushes with the attention of the entire gym.

"Get a room," Kat calls and flips the bird.

No need for rooms, as the rest of the Slayers bust through the door and ruin the romantic ambiance. They literally jizzed themselves on the phone when they found out _the_ Kat was going to be training at _their _gym. Tyler and Matt forcefully rip Damon away from Kat's body as they jostle to decide who jostles with her next.

Damon shrugs with indifference and heads to the kitchen to prepare himself a snack. He has barely taken a bite out of his colorful salad when a crying mess starts to slobber all over his food. Stefan holds out something resembling scrap bits in his hands, apparently his failed attempt at making himself lunch. These SATs have _really_ got Stefan in a rip current. Damon hands Stefan his own salad, and Stefan breathes a sigh of relief. All is right in the world again. Damon shakes his head in disappointment. What kind of mom would Damon be if he let Stefan out into the world like _this?_ After SATs, Damon is totally going to whip Stefan into a nice boy he can marry off.

When the Salvatores return to the gym, the air has taken an icy and unmistakable turn. Elena and Kat are staring each other down in a heated battle of the wills. Elijah steps in before the two women decide to settle their differences _physically._

"It's just dinner. She's our guest, after all," Elijah consoles.

Kat sticks out her tongue in victory. She walks over to Damon and links her arm through his. "I've chosen my date for dinner," Kat declares.

Elena _thinks_ she is seething quietly to herself. In reality, _everyone _in the gym can see the steam marks coming out of her head. Kat did not become the Baddest Woman On The Planet by being imperceptive. Elena's reverse-jealousy intentions may be lost in a gym full of men ... But to another woman? OBVIOUS AS FUCK. Kat plans to play this new information to her advantage. After all, who says the fight game is only physical? Kat has a history to psyching her opponents out with trash talk. This time, she will psych Elena out with some good ol' fashion romance shenanigans.

Kat knows Elena is the only legitimate contender for the UFC belt. Elena has done a relatively good job sliding under the radar by _not_ immediately signing with the UFC. Kat herself had not really paid attention to Elena until Damon's fame thrust Elena into the spotlight as well. Any female who has seriously trained with men from a young age has an advantage for sure. An advantage that Kat would not know how to neutralize _until_ she came down to Mystic Falls herself and trained with the great Damon Salvatore. She would even let Damon give intel on her to Elena, for the chance to see what she is up against. Elena is legit, and it may take more than just a physical advantage to take her out.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to YAZMIN V, writing STELLA, and kitti vasar.


	13. Chapter 13

Elena cannot believe her eyes. Damon Salvatore is the biggest slut in the history of sluts. He takes the motherfucking cake; the other sluts never had a chance.

Elijah tries to keep his eyes from the rearview mirror, but his maleness wins out. What to do when people are literally having sex in front of your damn eyes?

Damon, of course, is oblivious to all the attention from the front of the SUV. He and Kat are in the back by themselves, and they are taking full advantage. Her hand has disappeared beneath his pants to ransack his jewels. Not delicately stroke. _Ransack._ They are not even trying to be discreet. He lolls his head back in pure ecstasy. So obvious. He might as well stop trying to bite back moans.

Elena suddenly slams the brakes. The SUV lurches violently, tossing all its riders forward. Damon opens his eyes and catches Elena's fake smile in the rearview mirror. No sex in Elena's SUV. Point taken.

Elena continues to unravel during dinner at Casa Salvatore, the local Italian eatery that Damon's uncle Zach owns. Zach, after seeing the stunning brunette on Damon's arm, insists that Damon himself specially cook a dish for the table. Elena has seen the Salvatore wingman routine too many times to count: Zach forces an initially shy Damon to cook a dish and any and all females at the table swoon in Damon's domestic dreaminess. Elena stabs at the risotto dish in disgust. Not disgust towards the food itself. That is ravishing, as usual. Creamy butter and white wine envelop each bead of Arborio rice in richness and flavour. No, disgust at Damon, who is eating up all of Kat's praises like the stupid fool he is.

Elena has seen this song and dance before, so why the sad face? She realizes she has never seen Damon hang out with another female fighter before. Of course, being a UFC fighter and now champion, Damon has crossed paths with many of them. He has just never spent an extended amount of time with one, like he is doing with Kat. Elena nervously chews on her thumb. What if she loses him to Kat?

Elena's previously contained resentment decides to show its ugly face again and play Devil's advocate. Who fucking cares about "losing" Damon Salvatore? The asshole who can fight for anything _but_ her. The douche who graduates valedictorian and summa cum laude. The jerk who wins the UFC lightweight belt from the previously unbeatable Klaus "King of England" Mikaelson. The idiot who can mother a difficult brother and weather a demanding father. The man who can do all of this, while being deaf. Cannot. Fucking. Fight. For. Her? Is this guy for real?

Three pairs of eyes stare at Elena, whose beer bottle is now a nice mosaic on the floor. Kat has just revealed that she traveled all the way to Mystic Falls without booking a hotel room. And that she would rather stay at someone's house and enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast. Damon eagerly volunteers everything: his house, his room, his cooking, his jizz ... Okay, so he did not say the last one out loud. Everyone knows he is thinking it though.

Kat mock yawns, trying to hurry along the end of dinner. Slaying the Slayers has proven to be an unchallenge. Kat wonders if Elijah knows how Elena feels about Damon. Elijah cannot be _that_ fucking dense. But why stay with her then? Kat cackles inwardly at the small-town dramatics. What else is there to do but get drunk and fuck and fight. All three will go down tonight.

Elijah helps Zach pan up the glass shards on the floor, and then excuses himself and his lady love from the restaurant. The drive back to Elijah's house is excruciatingly mute. Elijah finds himself checking the passenger seat every few minutes, to make sure Elena is still breathing as a living human should. They have been at the Mickaelson house for less than 5 minutes when Elena announces that she has to leave to run some unspecified "errands." Elijah hums and haws, but does not dare ask whether these "errands" are at the Salvatore boarding house.

What is honour to Elijah Mickaelson? He is a walking contradiction. The Mickaelson brothers, all 4 of them, were brought up in England and lived there until a few years ago. In a household of that many brothers, one only survives if he can throw down and fight. Elijah does not teach because he cannot _do._ He teaches to be honourable. Truth be told, his primal side loves the fight game, but not enough to raise a fist itself.

He also keeps promises to be honourable. He promised Damon that their deal regarding Elena would remain a secret. Well, honour be damned. If Elijah is to lose Elena to Damon, she may as well know the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to YAZMIN V, sea-seva, thompson1996, Queenbrown20, and proudpan13.


	14. Chapter 14

Katherine Pierce does not know American Sign Language. That is not to say that she cannot _communicate_ to Damon using her hands. In fact, she communicates with her hands really, really well. Damon moans as loud as he pleases. _This_ is how you enjoy a deft handjob when there are no hurt doe eyes to scrutinize you. After he comes, he feels Kat's hands slither up his chest and around his neck. She looks at him with something indecipherable. Huh. Funny. He expected to see a "this is just a one-night stand" mischievousness. Her kiss feels indecipherable too.

Elena sweats all the way to the Salvatore boarding house. Hand wraps. That's it. She "forgot" her hand wraps at the Salvatore boarding house and she "needs" them at 11 pm. For an impromptu training session. To work out some residual aggression. _Over you, you stupid ass!_ Elena goes over the details of her story one last time as she raps on the front door. She waits impatiently for 3 minutes. No answer. Stay calm, there could be a million reasons for the nonanswer. Kat and Damon could be playing a heated game of Scrabble. _Yeah, a heated game of naked Scrabble the body parts._ She raps again and again and waits impatiently for another 5 minutes. She finally pulls out her spare key and lets herself in.

Stefan takes off his headphones and furrows his eyebrows in confusion when he sees Elena walking through the front door. He warns her that Damon is "busy" upstairs. She either completely misunderstands his use of "busy" or understands it perfectly and pushes past him to ascend the stairs. She wraps her hand around the door handle to Damon's room and gives it an experimental twist. Locked. She inserts her spare key and takes a deep, deep breath.

Kat arches back and places her palms on Damon's bed to brace herself. Damon is setting a brutal pace beneath her, even while handcuffed to his bedposts. She arches forwards to stimulate herself against his pelvic bone, and they both groan with the change of position. This is by far the best sex she has ever had. By very far. Kat is in the midst of joining the Gods again when she hears an "I love Damon" scream from behind her. She ignores it until she has returned to earth. She then turns around to face the rude intruder. Elena Gilbert. Kat unsaddles herself and walks towards Elena without propriety. Kat whispers into Elena's ear about how "spectacular" Damon is on her way into Damon's shower.

Damon, still blindfolded and cuffed, calls out to remind of his current predicament. Elena has never actually _seen _Damon have sex before. She spent her entire trip to the Salvatore boarding house dreading this very moment. Oddly though, now that the moment has passed, the dread is gone. Instead, frenzied motivation takes its place. They have wasted entirely too much time. Years to be exact. But not another second. Elena removes his blindfold, but leaves him cuffed. Before he can react, she grabs his face between her hands, looks deep into his ocean eyes, and says a heartfelt "I love you!" She uncuffs him and waits for his response.

Damon's mind is swirling in psychosis. What the fuck does "I love you!" even mean? I love you like a friend? That must be it. Because last time he checked, Elena was hopelessly wrapped up in Elijah, PDAing all over the fucking place. Because last time he checked, Elena had been dating Elijah for 3 fucking years. Because last time he checked, Elena had been cold as fucking ice to him for the first of those fucking years.

Elena senses Damon's confused anger and places his hands over her heart. "I'm in love with you." He splays his fingers over the fabric of her shirt. He curls his fingers in and imagines, for a moment, allowing this heart to belong to him. Truly. Madly. Deeply. A little raven-haired boy. A little doe-eyed girl. He wants this pretend moment to last forever. But sadly, he is also the one to take a knife and cut it short.

Damon knows he loves Elena. He knows he will never love anyone _more._ But being with her, properly, in a romantic relationship, scares the _fuck_ out of him. And he knows exactly why it scares the fuck out of him. One word. The word he could not say before, even in the sanctity of his own mind. The word he says out loud now, to Elena's shock and dismay. _PITY._ Actually, he makes up a new word. _PITY-BOND._ As in, Elena, you only think you love me because of the _PITY-BOND._ As in, Elena, if anything, you are _PITY-BONDED_ to me. Also, by the way, I treated you like prize money 3 years ago and delivered you to Elijah's doorstep. Elena flips her humanity switch with the last revelation. She cocks back and Superman punches his face. OH, that will leave a mark.

Damon clutches at the site of impact and laughs out loud, at everything. Comedians say that all the tragedies of life have comedic elements to them. Damon, for whatever reason, is focusing on the comedy. He fucking taught her that punch! Of course, like teacher like student; her technique is flawless. Good, think about the comedy. That way, this all will not hurt SO. FUCKING. BAD. Elena has disappeared by the time Kat rushes to his side.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to Queenbrown20, Debbie1689, vamomoftwins, bellax0xchristina, alexemp, Street7Arrow, prickleboo, and namile.


	15. Chapter 15

Katherine Pierce wonders just when she started to _care_ about Damon Salvatore. The options are limited. Between 12 pm to 12 am, a 12-hour window. She settles on around 10:30 pm, give or take. The time at which he let her handcuff and blindfold him.

She was shocked, to say the least. You would think a spitfire like her had dominated her share of men in the bedroom. Wrong. Men, even fellow fighters, took issue enough with her physicality and athleticism. They would not allow her to dominate them sexually too. Damon showed absolute confidence in handing her control. That confidence was _extremely_ sexy to her.

Damon rolls his eyes as Kat reams out the Mystic Falls Hospital E.R administrative team. She insisted he go to the E.R. to check his face. Just as an exam room opens, Elijah and Klaus walk through the E.R. doors. Damon lingers behind for a few minutes, to catch up. Elijah is the latest victim of Elena's now infamous Superman punch. The men joke about Elena's flawless technique to lighten an otherwise heavy night.

Dr. John Gilbert examines Damon's face. Could this night get any worse? Damon gets John fucking Gilbert of all the physicians on call in the world right now. This is the first time in 3 years that Damon and John have spent any time together, one on one. To give John credit, his American Sign Language is still sharp. Damon tries to look on the "bright" side. Obviously, Elena has yet to tell John about his indiscretions, or Damon would have already had another black eye to even out his face. Not that John even needs any reason to justify violence towards Damon. John probably thinks that he is exhibiting the utmost professionalism in _not_ punching Damon now and _taking care_ like a physician should.

Ric pulls his car to the side of the road and slams his head against the steering wheel. Elena has just told him that she wants to join the UFC and fight Kat for the women's bantamweight belt. Elena has also just told him that she refuses to train with Damon, the insecure misogynist, for the potential fight. Ric grapples with that term. Insecure misogynist. Is Damon one, in light of the new information Elena has revealed tonight? Damon has no issue treating Elena like an equal in training. He just has an issue letting her make her own love life decisions. Ric uses his head to honk the horn a few times. He himself has "dazzled" Elena with a sexist gem of a comment on more than one occasion. He blames his big, fat F- in a first-year women's studies course.

After taking a breather, Ric starts again towards Mystic Falls Hospital. Damon's vision is still blurry, and he wants Ric as his ride home to avoid Kat's supposed "girlfriend-like" clinginess. Ric doubles over and wheezes at the sight of Damon's black eye. Girl can hit. "Come on Panda," Ric squeezes out at Damon's pout.

Damon holds a glass of bourbon on the rocks against his eye. The soothing of the cold is about the only good thing in his life right now. Again, he tries to look on the "bright" side. There is nowhere to go but up after the woman you love thinks you an insecure misogynist and punches your face. He grapples with that term.

First, the modifier "insecure." He takes a swig of bourbon. Yes, he definitely is when it comes to Elena. All indications were that John liked Damon in the past. John may even have _loved_ Damon like a son. At least, Damon once loved John like a dad. John did what Giuseppe could not and would not. John played with Damon during the summers. John enrolled Damon in Shorin-Ryu martial art classes. John acted as Damon's guardian and cheerleader during out-of-state competitions. John let Damon just _be._ Then one day, John punched Damon and kicked Vicki, and that was that. Everyone else thought there was no apparent rhyme or reason. Everyone else was just trying to be politically correct, Damon thought. To Damon, the rhyme and reason were clear as day: John had called Damon a retard who should not procreate. Apparently, deaf people were to be loved conditionally, at arms length, until they threatened to "contaminate" the otherwise "pure" gene pool. Never mind that Damon has already achieved what many hearing people dream of. Elena may _think_ she loves Damon now, but who knows when she will fall off a cliff like her dad. To Damon, it is a "when," not "if."

Second, the noun "misogynist." Damon takes another swig of bourbon. Yes, he definitely is when it comes to aftersex. He wants sex when he wants it. His partners are always ready and willing. But with women, are things ever that simple? They say they want one night, then turn around and start _caring_ and wanting more. He pawns them off like objects to other men, hoping to divert attention from him. More importantly, he does not allow them to feel what they feel for him.

So Damon is an insecure misogynist. Now what?

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to vamomoftwins and bellax0xchristina.


	16. Chapter 16

Body-head. Body-head. Body-head. Elena combo punches a sandbag with Kat's face on it. Body-head combinations are highly effective, but criminally underutilized strikes in mixed martial arts. You strike your opponent's body, making her drop her hands down for protection. You then strike her unprotected head, either knocking her out or making her bring her hands back up for protection. Rinse and repeat until knock out. Easy to explain, hard to execute. This morning, Elena's form has been sloppy and undisciplined. She tries to recall Damon's punching acronym A.R.T. – awareness, rhythm, timing. Unfortunately, with the acronym come the memories. Just last week, he stood behind her with his hands on her waist to guide her through the proper torque. She leans into the memory of his touch. His fingers form a strong yet welcoming pressure. The strong planes of his chest mold against the back of her head. His stubble tickles the underside of her chin when he whispers instructions into her ear.

Elena gives her head a few forceful shakes, hoping these intrusive memories fall away. You think life is easy as a _female_ fighter? At every turn, everyone you meet doubts you. _You're way too pretty to fight. Why don't you just find a nice man and have some babies? Leave the fighting to the menfolk. _Damon was one of the few to believe in Elena, her abilities, and her right to fight. He thought of her as an equal. But did he, really? He turned around and _objectified_ her in the same breath, having the audacity to decide her future with another man _without_ her input. She has seen him do that to his countless one-nighters and friends-with-benefits, but to her too? Damon might as well have just snapped Jeremy's neck.

The name "Elijah" flashes across Elena's phone screen to signal an incoming call. Ugh. Speaking of "misogynist." Elijah was aghast when Elena confronted him about the deal with Damon_._ Elijah swore that he was going to tell Elena about it himself. Really? That admission would have been _3 years too fucking late._ The end of their relationship was punctuated with a Superman punch. What else could he possibly have to say to her? She rejects his call.

Ric staggers backwards as Elena lands another one of her crane kicks on his padded chest guard. Her obvious lack of focus is affecting her technique, but not her power. He wishes he could bottle up her power for fight night, 3 months from today. The President of the UFC has set the earliest provisional fight date possible, which assumes that Kat disposes of Meredith Fell with ease in 2 weeks and their fight does 100k+ pay-per-view buys. Ric can feel the excitement building through his veins. Imagine, two UFC champions from small-town Mystic Falls? Some watery doe eyes look back at him.

Elena crumples into Ric's arms. She finally lets the tears flow freely. She has just signed a provisional one-fight contract with the UFC. Her dream of fighting in the UFC is one step closer to being a reality, but everything is riding on _Kat._ Kat has to beat Meredith and Kat has to generate 100k+ pay-per-view buys in the process. Kat this, Kat that. When did Elena's life start to revolve around Kat? This morning, Elena tried to channel her energy towards _hating_ Kat to keep her other, more complicated emotions at bay. Like hate-love. For Damon. The diversion worked somewhat until now. Elena really only thought of Damon one time, when combo-punching the sandbag. OK, fine, the thought was long and drawn-out, but still only one thought.

Ric smoothes his hands down Elena's back. He has never seen her cry before, in 6 years. When he met her, she was a fresh-faced senior cheerleader in high school. She had accompanied Damon to wrestling team tryouts for moral support. Ric thought the two of them were dating. They had traipsed into the gym holding hands, for God's sake! She had not been looking to try out for wrestling herself, but seemed to be intrigued by the sport once she saw it up close. Unfortunately, there was no girl's high school wrestling division, so she wrestled boys in her weight class. She finished fifth at nationals. Ric would later find out that Elena had honed her athleticism since childhood. Elena wanted to enroll in Shorin-Ryu martial art classes with Damon at age 8, but John would not have any of that. _You're way too pretty to fight. Why don't you just find a nice man and have some babies? Leave the fighting to the menfolk._ From then on, Damon secretly taught Elena everything he learned in class. At age 18, Elena started to rebel against John's rigid rules. She joined the wrestling team. She openly trained Shorin-Ryu and acquired her black belt. She and Damon took up mixed martial arts together. She felt free. And hopelessly in love. So in love. She still feels hopelessly in love, despite everything. So in love.

Kat looks down at her phone screen one last time before boarding her return flight to Florida. Damon has yet to return any of her several urgent calls.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to vamomoftwins, bellax0xchristina, Debbie1689, laila324, hpdork22, SarahConnor2021, damonenelenafan, and 5ka.


	17. Chapter 17

Vicki licks at Damon's face, which is peeking out from his left side. He mumbles gibberish before turning the other direction. Her determined tongue follows. He kisses her back and buries his head in her fur, wide awake now. Vicki Salvatore, the world's cutest and most effective alarm clock. Her spirit is unusually high this morning. She must sense that today is different, and that it is. Ric is going to pick her up on his way to the gym so that Elena can see her.

Vicki has been whimpering through the last three weeks, in a state of depression. She barely eats or explores the smells during walks. Sleep is fitful. Damon wishes he were as "upbeat" as Vicki. His only food group is alcohol. Today will be the first time that he sets foot in a gym. He alternates between 24 hours awake and 24 hours asleep. Giuseppe has been taking care of Vicki.

The only thing Damon has done consistently is write. He pulls out a baby-blue piece of Origami paper. He dips a writing quill in ink and jots down his first thought. _It's right_, _just not right now_. He folds the paper into a crane, which is no easy feat for someone as hungover as him. The crane finds home in a desk drawer that has 20 other cranes.

Damon wishes he could do more than just write. He wishes he could be around Elena and support her during the most important time in her fight career. One week ago, Kat dismantled Meredith Fell in front of 400k+ pay-per-view fans. The President of the UFC immediately announced Pierce vs. Gilbert as the main event on the upcoming June 1, 2013 card. Ric says that Elena has been an emotional wreck. Damon and Elijah would usually help Ric support and train her, but given recent developments ... Ric made the bold move to bring in Klaus and Kol Mickaelson to fill the void. Matt and Tyler are regional circuit fighters who do not have the wealth of knowledge that a former UFC champion and #1 contender have. The Mickaelson brothers, though usually against cross-training with the Slayers, made an exception as their way to extend goodwill to the community of Mystic Falls. For the last few years, the Mickaelsons and their arrogance have brought nothing but contempt from the locals.

The camerapeople and hosts from UFC Primetime must be leftovers from TMZ. As soon as Damon appears from his Camaro, half a dozen of them are aiming their flashes at his eyes and thrusting their microphones at his mouth. He looks at the ground until he is within the safety of the Originals gym. Men can be worse gossips than women can. The top few UFCs in pay-per-view buys had one thing in common: compelling drama. The most compelling drama? Teammate drama. Former teammates fighting each other. Usual teammates not training with each other. In filming Elena at the Slayers gym, the UFC noticed Damon's extended absence and in the name of hype, wanted the scoop. Damon knows the UFC's game. They will use any angle necessary to sell a fight. To Damon's relief, Ric had the presence of mind to put anyone with any information on lockdown. Elena has enough to worry about without the UFC splattering her personal life all over their Primetime special.

Damon squeezes the remainders of a water bottle over his head. He would be worried if he had to fight tomorrow. Elijah just had him in full mount for a few minutes. Damon does not recall a time when he was _this_ out of shape, huffing and puffing after one round of sparring. He looks over to Elijah, who cracks a smile. Elijah then turns serious. He admits that he was ready to tell Elena about the deal and was going to tell her the morning after dinner at Casa Salvatore. Damon waves off Elijah's attempted promise break. Who cares? They were both wrong to make the deal in the first place.

_They were both wrong to make the deal in the first place._ Damon has just expressed this thought out loud for the first time, to test his feelings about it. He is still undecided. Ric and he have debated this thought together over and over. Damon has gone through all the necessary stages before acceptance: denial, fierce denial, even fiercer denial, slight awareness, more awareness, full awareness. The act of acceptance has been much harder. Damon feels he made the deal to ensure that Elena did not act under the influence of a so-called "pity bond." Ric argues that in doing so, Damon ended up taking away Elena's free will, the very thing he was trying to avoid. Ric went even further than that. He delved into what he considers Damon's _real_ problem. Why does Damon even need to ensure that Elena does not act under the influence of a so-called "pity bond"? Because Damon does not think Elena could possibly love him without one.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to Debbie1689, vamomoftwins, bellax0xchristina, and greenshoes3.


	18. Chapter 18

Kat curses to herself. _Of course he's not responding. All you've left is VOICE messages!_ She googles "apps for the deaf" and scrolls through the resulting hits. She downloads the Dragon Dictation speech-to-text app and runs all of her voice mails through. Unfortunately, the app is not perfect, and some of its mistakes are worth a good chuckle. "I win, what's my prize?" becomes "I win, stroke my thighs!" Then again, maybe the app is not so much making mistakes, but rather, cutting to the chase.

Damon's eyes widen at the sudden influx of texts from Kat. He has one month's worth of voice mails from her and others that he has not yet run through Dragon Dictation. How could he possibly talk to the outside world when he was (and still is) in such inner turmoil? He reads Kat's texts, which together form a novel. An engaging novel. Funny. Well-written. He finds himself liking her style. Her texts suggest that she likes him back. The insecure voice in his head yells "Pawn her off!" He ignores it and texts back.

Eternal Stud: Oh, stop being cute ;)

Kitty Kat: Not possible :)= Did you go running back to Elena? She punched you in the face ...

Eternal Stud: Not to worry, Elena and I are on a bit of a break. Let's just say Elena and I are having a bit of a difference of opinion on how I should behave.

Kitty Kat: Her loss.

Kat wants to ask Damon why Elena punched him in the face. Kat knows the obvious answer. Who would want their best friend sleeping with their enemy? The unobvious answer is the one she wants to unearth. Kat sorta, kinda feels like a rebound, and she wants to shed that skin so that she can enjoy what she thinks is coming.

Elena slurps Ric's mystery juice through a straw. Blech. How hard is it to make a tasty, nutritious juice? Very hard, apparently. John, Jenna, Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, Kol, Klaus, and Ric have all tried and failed the last month. Elena finally gives the blender a whirl herself. She stuffs different fruits and veggies in, without regards to complimentary combinations or other such "details." The outcome is just as horrible as everyone else's attempts. Ric, absent during Elena's experiment, reappears with another juice attempt. To start, the colour, a pastel orange, is much more aesthetically pleasing. She takes a sip, and pineapple, banana, and coconut greet her taste buds. Delish. Elena's eyebrows arch at Ric, silently questioning his sudden mad skills. "From a local guy," he simply replies.

Ric tosses back a shooter himself. The last month has turned him into an alcoholic squared. He spends all day training Elena. By training, he means _everything._ Physical sparring in boxing, muay thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and traditional karate. Strength and conditioning. Exercising. Feeding. Setting sleep patterns. Chauffeuring. Laundering. Braiding hair. Whatever Elena needs. He spends all night debating Damon. Damon is all over the fucking place and still not sure he did anything wrong. _Damon, my idiot best friend._

That night, Ric finds Damon in the kitchen, trying new juice recipes. Ric would have involved Damon sooner, but he was not sure how Elena would react. She seems to be alright, grateful even. One less thing to worry about. Damon is busy blending when his phone flashes to signal a received text. Nosy Ric glances at the sender's name. Kitty Kat. Who the hell? No way. Katherine Pierce? He reads the text. "It's stuffy. I've been in this rashguard for days. Wanna help me get out of it? ;)" Oh hell no. Ric shoves Damon's phone at his face. Damon reads and laughs. Until he sees Ric's face.

"What I think is you need to take a beat," Ric demands. He wants Elena to focus 100% on her fight. She has been struggling enough as it is. What if the UFC Primetime cameras catch Damon and Kat together? Those jackasses are out for blood. Elena would be devastated beyond repair.

Damon assures Ric that nothing out of line is happening with Kat. Just harmless flirting. They are not going to see each other. Just texting. Sexting at worst. Seriously, where does everyone get off? Damon pawns women off, he is a misogynist. Damon lets women do what they want, he needs to "take a beat." He does not dignify Ric with a response. Whatever. Judgy McJudgertons need to stop judging!

Ric knows better than to push Damon further. Damon is a small push away from lashing out, big-time. He would probably purposely invite UFC Primetime to tape him and Kat going at it, just to spite everyone. Or something equally ridiculous. _Really, my idiot best friend._ Ric needs backup. He is afraid he himself is going to go batshit on UFC Primetime. He contemplates doing it on purpose, just to deflect attention away from his two stars.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to Debbie1689 and vamomoftwins.


	19. Chapter 19

Elena takes deliberately slow sips, reveling in each one. Mysterious local guy has outdone himself with his latest offering, a pomegranate and mixed berries masterpiece that completely hides the taste of protein powder. Mornings are her new favourite time of day. At 4 am, Ric drops off a daily food package that mysterious local guy has meticulously made from scratch. Mysterious local guy is her saviour. If not for him, she would have already lost to Kat by way of desiccation.

Elena hugs Ted-DE to her chest and inhales. Mysterious local guy's scent lingers. Maybe. He has not been in her room for 6 weeks. The lingering scent may be a figment of her imagination, but it comforts her nonetheless. He gifted her her beloved Ted-DE teddy on her sweet sixteen. He roused her with his presence in her bed at 6 am that morning, the adorable Ted-DE cuddled to his chest. At first, she was pissed the fuck off. "6 am? Seriously? Do you really have nothing better to do at 6 am?" Then, she was legit LMFAOing. On closer inspection, Ted-DE was wearing a risque pair of Agent Provocateur red lace panties as a shirt. "Put these in the 'Yes' pile," mysterious local guy grunted in a bear voice. Well, more like a bear in heat voice, if there is such a thing. She opens the underwear drawer of her dresser. She reaches for those red panties, ones she has actually never worn before. The lace feels comfortable underneath her fingertips, which is uncharacteristic of this form of fabric. Almost like satin. Leave it to him to be so thoughtfully pragmatic.

She opens the bottom drawer of her dresser. His drawer. She reaches for one of his Whitmore College T-shirts and slips it on. The scent of bourbon, maple, and something indescribable floats around her. _This_ is the real deal. Yet still only a substitute.

These substitutes will not be able to carry Elena through the rest of her life. _When it's real, you can't walk away._ On the other hand, she is not able to forgive yet. The journey to forgiveness starts with understanding D. Yes, his name has just been upgraded from "mysterious local guy." All of D's problems stem from insecurity. All of D's insecurity stems from John and Giuseppe ...

The knock on her door signals the arrival of the UFC Primetime crew. Ugh. To get a usable 10-second snippet of Elena's morning ritual, the crew has had to come film for the last 5 consecutive mornings. One particular crewmember has a hard-on for D. He keeps interrogating about D, fishing for information about D's whereabouts. "Damon make that?" he asks, pointing to the juice in her hand. She throws a curt smile, effectively shutting him up without words. Or not. The crewmember rearranges the items on her bed to prepare for the shoot. "Damon give you this?" he asks, holding Ted-DE. Elena wants to remind the crewmember that this shoot is about her, not anyone else.

Jeremy leans against Elena's door to their shared bathroom. He admires his sister's strength. He is sure he would not be up to fighting in a fucking cage if he and Bonnie were on the outs. Then again, maybe being locked in a cage where your opponent is trying to end you would be the perfect distraction. He returns to his room to continue packing. Elena's fight is 6 weeks away and Ric is battening down the hatches. Jeremy is on nighttime Damon-watch, starting tonight. Ticket to free booze!

On his way out, Jeremy passes by a framed picture of the Gilbert and Salvatore children at Dunham Lake 16 years ago. Elena and Damon were 8, Jeremy was 6, and Stefan was 1. Damon had just dressed Stefan up in a onesie with Koala bear ears on the hood, and everyone was oohing and aahing at the adorkableness. Stefan was basking in Damon's attention. Jeremy recalls the jealousy he felt then. He had always wanted Damon to look at him that way, with brotherly love. Jeremy wonders when the Gilbert-Salvatore situation crumbled into messy complication.

John catches Jeremy in his moment of nostalgia. John has not been the most supportive of Elena's recent decision to fight on the grandest cage in the world. To avoid confrontation, he has made himself scarce in her life, aside from trying (and failing) to make her food and drinks. He never wanted this life for his Baby Princess. He thought she would find a good man, get married, have 1.5 kids and a golden retriever, and live happily ever after in a home with a white picket fence. He never thought she would become a cage fighter, making a living by beating other women to a pulp or breaking their limbs. He never thought her good man would be ...

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to vamomoftwins, Debbie1689, bellax0xchristina, livialovesdelena, and ParfaitCherie.


	20. Chapter 20

Jeremy Gilbert must be shadowing Giuseppe Salvatore's class on Legal Writing. How dare Jeremy make persuasive arguments and logical sense?

Damon traces the curves on his baby. Not Camaro. UFC belt. More precisely, UFC belts because he just acquired another one through title defense. His twins. The physical manifestations of his decade plus of blood, sweat, and tears. When he first met with the President of the UFC, Prez literally laughed in his face and then some. Basically, as much as Prez could get away with without being curb-stomped for a hate crime against the disabled. Damon becoming a UFC fighter would cost the UFC much more than the average fighter: higher insurance bracket, higher reimbursable fight costs ... Prez just did not think it a good or wise investment. Damon had to jump through impossible hoops. He had to obtain 2 additional specialist doctor clearances, because John's alone was not enough. He had to organize and promote his own mixed martial arts event in Fairfax, Virginia. This event sealed the deal. The UFC takes notice when a non-UFC fighter can pack the Patriot Center to its capacity on his own name alone. Supporters of the deaf community, supporters of Damon's fight style, supporters of Mystic Falls, all showed up to cheer Damon into the UFC. Although Damon lost the fight, there was no shame involved. The fighter he lost to is the UFC's current welterweight champion, one weight class up. Damon is now one of the UFC's top 3 pay-per-view draws.

Yesterday, Jeremy pointed out that Prez initially did to Damon as Damon is now doing to Elena: thinking you know best for someone else and taking away his or her free will. Of course, Prez was just much more outright and vicious about it.

Damon carefully closes the glass doors on his display case and sets his feather duster back in its holder. Who has the balls to interrupt Damon's daily cleaning time? He shoots a "can you believe this" look to the rubber ducky keeping a watchful eye from atop a corner table. Back when Damon and Elena were too young to be aware of their physical differences, their parents often bathed them together to ease Elena's then crippling fear of baths. Their pair of boy and girl rubber duckies accompanied them at bath time, and to this day, Damon's rubber ducky still oversees daily cleaning time.

Damon looks like he has just seen a ghost or is a ghost himself. Kat twirls her hair around her right index finger and offers a coquettish lip-bite. He ushers her into the Salvatore boarding house before any UFC Primetime cameras jump out of the bushes and snap away.

Pierce vs. Gilbert is in one month, and the Pierce side of the equation should be training _in Florida_. What is she doing here? She answers by ripping off her trench coat to expose a Frederick's of Hollywood halter corset. She traps him against the nearest wall and grinds her ass into his crotch. He is rock hard in an instant. He manages to squeak out "I love Elena" before they get any more heated.

The grinding grinds to a halt. Kat is relieved that Damon cannot see her face or the tears that have surfaced from the corners of her eyes. She discreetly wipes her face before turning around. "And I don't care." Which is a totally truthful lie. She does not care enough to stop, but she does care enough to feel hurt.

Damon explains further. He is up for some casual comfort, as long as his comforters know that no relationship potential exists. There. Finally. He always thought his one-nighters and friends-with-benefits knew what they were (or more precisely were _not_) getting themselves into. However, being called a misogynist has a way of making you re-evaluate each and every single one of your interactions with the opposite sex. Change #1: State verbal disclaimer before any sexual activity. He considers also documenting said disclaimer in writing, a "Non-Relationship Agreement." Dr. Sheldon Cooper, eat your heart out.

Kat raises a brow at Damon's lawyerlike gobbledygook. Obviously, _somebody's_ fuck'n'chuck mentality has recently gotten _somebody_ in trouble. His command of the English language is goddamn sexy though. Everything about him is goddamn sexy. The heat pools between her thighs. She is ready to agree to whatever the hell he wants. She will sign her life away on the dotted line right this second, if it guarantees that he buries himself to her hilt the next.

Jeremy is incredulous. What the fuck is Katherine Pierce doing here, looking like a kat in heat? Jeremy pulls Damon aside.

"Look, Elena's my sister and I love her, but if she chooses you ..." Jeremy starts.

"I'm trying to do the right thing by her," Damon defends. Jeremy's forehead wrinkles in utter confusion and demands an explanation. "I'm trying to stop being such a controlling dick. Whatever happens, happens."

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to M, vamomoftwins, Snowhite1, Shae-Lyn-Goode-Somerhalder, Bookgirl1974, haleycX, and tayleevns161.


	21. Chapter 21

Elena takes another panicked gulp of air. She practically grew up in Mystic Falls Hospital, so the environment itself has zero effect on her. The nature of her visit, however, has her windpipe in knots. She scans her father's office in search for something, anything, to provide a distraction. The back wall offers a plethora of distracting words. University of Virginia School of Medicine. John Grayson Gilbert. John Templeton Foundation Grant. General Medicine. DeafNation Inspiration Award 2012 to Damon Salvatore. Wait. Damon is usually a territorial tyrant over things like this. Why does her father have Damon's award?

John has been pacing outside his office door for several minutes. Several minutes ago, he saw his daughter's back through the door window. That instant, he knew. He knew why she was here. He felt around his breast pocket and fiddled with the edges of a crumpled, three-year-old piece of paper. He has read this piece of paper to himself every night for the last three years. He has wanted to give this piece of paper to his daughter every night for the last three years. The time may have come for it to belong to its rightful owner. He takes a few panicked gulps of air before he pushes through the door.

She looks at her daddy with big, brown, innocent doe eyes. She starts to speak up, but her daddy hands her a folded piece of paper. She can barely stop her hands from trembling as she unfolds the piece of paper. The wrinkles of confusion on her forehead match those on the timeworn paper.

_Elena, My Beautiful Baby Princess,_

_It's no easy task being an ordinary parent to an extraordinary child. I've failed in that task, and because of my prejudices, I've failed you. I'm haunted by how things might've played out differently if I'd been more willing to hear your side of things. For me, it's the end. For you, a chance to grow old and someday do better with your own child than I did with mine. It's for that child that I give you this letter. I don't ask for your forgiveness, or for you to forget. I ask only that you believe this; whether you are now reading this as a 21 year-old or older, I love you all the same as I've always loved you, and always will._

_Daddy_

The words are beautiful, but they make no sense to Elena. John's next verbal explanation makes the written words make sense.

A few months before Elena's 21st birthday, Damon had asked John for Elena's hand in marriage. John was taken aback, but only because Damon and Elena had not even been on a date yet. Damon was sure though. He would marry Elena one day. Elena may have had a strained relationship with John ever since she decided to dedicate herself to mixed martial arts, but Damon still thought asking her father's permission was the right thing to do. John was reluctant in his head. Damon was not necessarily to blame for Elena's interest in mixed martial arts, but her marrying him would only deepen her hooks. John's Baby Princess would be a ruthless killing machine for life. John told Damon to give him time to think over the proposal.

Behind the scenes, John needed to reassure himself about something else first. Damon's deafness came from mutations in his Connexin 26 genes. Elena had just seen one of John's colleagues for a pre-Invicta tryout medical, complete with bloodwork. John borrowed one of her blood samples to test for possible Connexin 26 mutations and sure enough, Elena had a dormant mutation. Should Damon and Elena have a baby, the baby would have 50% chance of being deaf. Any baby Damon and Elena had would have 50% chance of being deaf. John was in a real dilemma. Damon was a strong, persistent child who turned into a strong, persistent man. Not all disabled people were like him. Life utterly _destroyed_ some of them. Life also utterly destroyed some of the people around them. The absolute last thing in the world John would want was for Elena to follow in the footsteps of Gabriella Salvatore, Damon's mother. For this very reason, John lost his head when he found his daughter and Damon in the throes of passion. Even while enacting threats of violence and actual acts of violence, the only thoughts reeling in John's head were horrific ones involving Gabriella. Gabriella tormented John's dreams for many months after.

John stops the story there. Elena urges him to continue, to reveal the real story behind Gabriella's sudden disappearance. He stands firm. Gabriella's story is not his to tell. One day, John hopes Giuseppe will finally tell all to Damon and Stefan, because they deserve to know.

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Author's Note: Thank you for the feedback, follows, and favourites. Special thanks to sea-seva, vamomoftwins, Kitsune3904, and FCgrl.


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